Buying a Car in December? This One Mistake Costs You Thousands.

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Buying a new or used car at the end of December can be one of the easiest times of the year to score an incredible deal but only if you negotiate the right way.

In this video, I break down the most common (and expensive) mistake I still see buyers making every single day: shopping by monthly payment instead of price. Dealers love this approach because it hides what really matters the actual price of the vehicle and the true value of your trade-in.

We start with a real-world example that perfectly illustrates the problem: a buyer asking if they can trade a 2025 Chevy Trail Boss for a 2026 Toyota Tundra while keeping the same monthly payment. That one sentence gives the dealership all the control and removes your leverage entirely.

From there, I explain why negotiating from MSRP downward is the wrong mindset, and how successful buyers flip the script by negotiating from the price they set, not the price the dealer shows them.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO

Why dealerships push you to focus on monthly payments
How end-of-year incentives (0%, cash back, lease deals) are designed to distract you
The real leverage points in any car deal
Why December is the easiest month to negotiate if you’re willing to walk
How to negotiate new vehicles using price anchoring
How to negotiate used vehicles using trade-in value as your starting point
Why aggregator sites like Cars.com and Autotrader matter
How geography and inventory affect pricing
Why Toyota deals work differently than most other brands

NEW CAR NEGOTIATION STRATEGY (STEP-BY-STEP)

For new vehicles, I show you why you should never start at MSRP and why national rebates alone are not enough. Instead, I explain how I personally negotiate by:

Targeting 18–20% below MSRP

Using dealer listings to prove real market pricing

Expanding search radius to create leverage

Being polite, confident, and willing to walk away

Especially in late December, dealerships care far more about moving inventory than maximizing profit per vehicle — and that’s where you win.

USED CAR NEGOTIATION STRATEGY

For used cars, the rules change but the leverage is still there.

Using a real example of a 2023 Toyota Camry, I explain why:

Dealers rarely pay trade-in value

Auction and Black Book values matter more

Kelley Blue Book trade-in value is the best anchor price

You should never feel bad making a low offer

Working up from a low anchor is far easier than working down

This strategy works on most mainstream vehicles and I explain where it doesn’t (exotics, limited-production cars, high-demand models).

IMPORTANT WARNINGS
Never let a “great price” on a new car hide a bad trade-in deal
Don’t roll negative equity just to get into a newer vehicle
You don’t have to trade your car in at all

Toyota vehicles often discount less but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless

TIMING MATTERS
This video was recorded in late December a time when:
Incentives are stacked
Dealers are under monthly and yearly pressure
Buyers have the most leverage
Walking away often triggers a callback
January changes the game and I explain why.

FINAL THOUGHT

If you’re buying a car right now new or used this approach can save you thousands of dollars. The key is simple:

Stop negotiating from the dealer’s perspective
Stop focusing on monthly payments
Set the price first and make them react to YOU

Hope this helps you avoid getting hosed out there.
Thanks for watching see you next time.